


Rabies and Other Uncommon Diseases (Zootopia)

by zoo_to_hell



Category: Disney - Fandom, Zootopia, wildehopps - Fandom
Genre: Blood, Depression, Disease, F/M, Fox - Freeform, Furry, Gore, Rabies, Romance, Virus, bunny - Freeform, savage - Freeform, uwu, wildehopps
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-02
Updated: 2018-06-11
Packaged: 2019-01-08 02:37:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12245424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zoo_to_hell/pseuds/zoo_to_hell
Summary: Judy is having to face horrifying pressure from the growing severity of she and Nick's cases. In the midst of a family reunion, a hopeless love interest in her partner, and a biological weapon threatening to turn mammals into savages; she and Nick must figure out who is behind the introductions of the super virus "Rabies".





	1. Meatplow

    ~~~~ _ **Meatplow**_

 

   Judy Hopps' eyelids were heavy like weights over her lavender orbed eyes.  Early mornings were something she still could not seem to adapt to, even a year after joining the ZPD.

   Her surroundings were still somewhat hazy and frigid, but a warm ceramic mug of something provided a warm oozing surge of life between the rabbit's paws. Though, that life didn't seem to wake her dulled and tired head.

   That was, until a pair of paws clapped softly in front of her muzzle. Suddenly, her senses came to a brief alert; and a otherwise confusing blur of russet turned into a fox with an all too familiar face.

    "You should'a gotten your beauty sleep, Carrots," The fox smirked, kicked back against a booth's headrest with a mug of coffee being raised to his thin black lips.

    A cold creeping feeling surged through Judy when a jangling of a bell sounded, the sound of pounding rain boomed, and a greeting from behind her was heard. Like a slow computer booting up, memory was retrieved and remembered the fox had taken her out to a coffee shop before work.

    "What did I tell ya' about finishing your paperwork slowly over time Judes? Now look at you, little bunny," He smirked and clacked his mug back down to the table, blowing out heat. "All sleepy and cute."

    The rabbit rubbed her eyes tired, swollen and huffed femininely, puffing out her chest. "Don't call me cute Nicholas."

    The fox sighed and tucked his plaid scarf tighter around his neck scruff. He wanted to be swallowed comfortably into the booth. Though, the mere thought of working in the beginning of monsoon season seemed to make everything uncomfortable and uneasy.

    "If I stopped, you'd miss it~" He chimed, not bothering to alter his somewhat comfortable position. The rabbit rolled her eyes in a semi-playful reply, focusing on the mug between her paws. Who had bought her the coffee again? She'd usually make some at home.  Judy usually knew better than to waste extra money (every penny counts with the payroll officers receive) on something she could cheaply make at her apartment.

    The rabbit moodily realized Nick had bought her coffee from her favorite expensive café yet again; and had probably ordered a pastry or two as well. She appreciated him spending his money on her, but she hated the fact that he downright wasted it to make her happy or pay for whatever she wanted.

    "You know I can pay for my own coffee Nick," The rabbit looked at him dully, taking a longing sip of the sweetened hot drink. Her whole body seemed to warm within seconds of having it run deep into her belly.

    The fox brought up his classic excuse face, and Judy had already gotten in an eyeroll before he spoke. "Hey, you can't even get here without falling asleep on the sidewalk; how do you expect me not to pay for you?"

    She hid the blush slowly growing up her ears by folding them down to her shoulders. It seemed to be an ordinary thing to do ever since he had joined the force some time ago.

    Judy Hopps knew she had been crushing on Nick since the day he stood up for her against the Chief. It had turned into a self-proclaimed love when she realized he was going to be around her for the rest of her life; and there was no shaking that.

    Was it that genuine, loving, nice guy underneath all those levels of sass and sarcasm? Was it... just lust? A want for someone exciting and handsome? She had touched herself guiltily to him more often than not every night; but if it was just plain lust, would she even feel guilt? She was so torn and unsure of her own emotions, but she knew she craved a relationship one way or another with this fox.

    Her eyes danced softly over the fox's expression, and the sweet scent of lovely rain flooded her nose with every passing flutter of her eyelashes. The way those thin black lips would peel away to show his fangs, his vulpine, slick expressions, and the genuine affection under all the masks he'd put on for himself.

    "Have fun staring Carrots?" His voice softly called out, not too pressing to get under her skin, but ever so much so suggestive. The rabbit stared back down at her coffee mug, with her ears down in their embarrassed routine.

    _You're gonna need a thicker skin to make it in this world, Judy. Especially with this fox._

_XXX_

    As much as being a police officer sounded fun many years before, Judy had quickly and regretfully learned that the job was much more dark. Traumatizing. While horror stories of vengeful murders and mothers drowning their children were very few in Zootopia; when horror stories came to life, they came as a full packaged psycho-head-blowout.

    Granted, Judy knew police officers were tough and level headed, because everyone knew that. She would be that way if those cases had happy endings. The rabbit later on assumed she was lucky, that the Night Howler case had ended as good as it did. Because if she had known mothers would get away with drowning their children and framing their husband, if she had known some mammals were so sick of life that they'd leap off of buildings or shoot up schools; she'd have pondered sparing her happy bouncy personality before even making advances toward the ZPD.

    Her dull, depressed thoughts were put to the side when Nick entered the bullpen, holding two donuts between his paws. Her eyes teased tears with a burn and an itch for watching him greet and flirt with other officers. Was she jealous? Oh hell yes she was. Was she bogged down by the doom and gloom that her job; her world was becoming? Oh, yes she was.

    It all seemed to pile up like this constantly. Without pattern, but only putting a deep, lonely green shade of depression over her world. Nick seemed to expel that haze merely by being in her presence. Maybe that was another reason she craved him so much. He was a lighthouse in her foggy life, he was the way back to having those fleeting glimpses of innocence again.

    Judy brought up her chest, and took a deep breath. _Lighten up Judy,_ She affirmed herself, _Nick isn't going to want to love a depressed loser._

    _Who's also a rabbit,_ She added glumly, _And that makes things much more... unlikely._

    Before she could come full circle and be angry for being sad, Nick had leaped up on the chair next to her. Her body tensed and adjusted. The fox yawned and stretched his broad and strong chest back, before dropping down and turning to the rabbit.

    Nick had a tendency to know when things were wrong with his little bunny, and whenever she seemed to slightest bit sad, his tail would curl around her torso by instinct. In which, it had already done. "What's eating at-cha Judes?" He pressed lightly, and quietly so no other mammal would take notice.

    Judy's flustered ear-dropping routine ensued, and she shook her head softly. "Nothing's wrong Nick. Just tired, I guess." Her lie was almost see through transparent for Nick, but he decided not to press it against her further.

    Though, the past few months, he had noticed a pretty steady emotional, physical, and mental decline for his favorite little female bunny. Her once bouncy personality and joyful smiles had twisted and crawled away to a drab, glum half-living version of herself.

    When the door clicked open to show the huge figure of Chief Bogo, Nick tacked a mental note to take Judy for a somewhat better than fast food dinner tonight, and ask what was wrong.

    Nick's ears flashed up with alert, knocking his arm to Judy's to wake her up. It was something she usually had to do for him, but the role reversal disturbed the fox. His brow curved and his paws clicked his notepad and pen off of his utility belt.

    The chief's mouth opened, and Nick's eyes were on the bunny that was so oddly changing.

_XXX_

   Patrol Duty in the Greater Tundratown Area was never fun, especially during this time of year. The snow would blow hard, the wind was like barbed icy razors, and there was nothing to see besides a world of white and light blues. The sky was darkened by clouds and lit by sodium vapor bulbs hung by frozen street lamps.

    The fox yawned sleepily and continued to munch on a stick of synthetic-dried-beef, which was held in his paw; the greasy plastic wrapper peeled back like a banana.

    Behind sleepy and tired eyes, the fox stared down to the bunny who had decided to lie her seat flat, curl up in a ball, and take a nap. He smirked at her soft, feminine, fragile frame, and her foot that ever so slightly twitched when a sound was made from Nick moving.

    He sighed, and turned his eyes away from the bunny; though his attention was still fully on her. He puffed his cheeks out as if to try signaling himself he was annoyed.

    Annoyed that he liked Judy. To the end of the Earth as a friend, oh for sure.

    But that was nothing to be upset about; and well, he wasn't.

    Nick liked Judy a bit farther than what a friend could be considered. Throughout what they'd been through, what they've shared, and stuck through together, it only seemed natural, right?

    Nick was angry at his uncertainty, his feelings for her in general. He didn't know if it was a short little phase, because it didn't feel like full blown love; but he knew better than to deny what he was genuinely feeling. Though, what if it is a phase, he'd think. He wouldn't want to hurt her if things didn't work out in the end.

    He sighed unhappily, and licked his cold, cracked lips. The fox strummed his fingers a final time, and turned his hand to the radio to switch to the grunge station; maybe take his thoughts away to some good old childhood music.

    Then, out of the corner of his eye, instinct struck, and he turned up to see two mammals sporting shady trenchcoats conversing on top of a building.

    _Drug deal,_ The fox thought, slowly unbuckling his seatbelt with caution. His suspicions were confirmed when he saw a taller mammal pass a card case full of white substance. Nick instantly recognized it as "catnip".

    He had seen plenty of it in his youth, and had his own encounter taking the drug before, but Nick shook away the thoughts when he slowly reached for the radio set on the dashboard; clicking the side button.

    "This is Officer Wilde to HQ, I've got a suspicious deal going down at 44- Western in the greater Tundratown area. Presumably drugs." He said huskily into the mic.

    "Officer Wilde and Officer Hopps, you are clear to investigate," Clawhauser's voice crackled out of the speaker side, and it clicked away with a static-y hiss.

    Nick took a deep breath and gently shook Judy awake. "Copy that."


	2. Dumb Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nick takes notice of Judy's worsening mood and unstable emotions, and Chief explains to Nick of the possible reasons.

The rain outside the ZPD pounded the pavement and Earth, filling the atmosphere with sweet lucidity. Near the front entrance on a soft fabric waiting-couch, Nick sat inside with a sleeping rabbit resting her head on his shoulder, softly snoring. Deep inside the guts and corridors of the ZPD, Chief was out interrogating the criminal they caught dealing whatever drug (which Nick later found _wasn’t_ catnip, in fact, it was unidentifiable) he had been selling.

            That wasn’t what was on his mind; it was Judy, and he had decided she was rather sleepy today for whatever reason. Stressed, more like it. Which was rather unusual for his favorite girl. He pet her ears and she slumped into his chest. He sighed and kept patting her head. “Oh Judes, what am I ever gonna do with you, huh?”

            Her nose twitched at his voice, and the fox held a chuckle deep in his throat. His head perked back up when he caught the Chief out of the corner of his eye, walking out of the North corridor. He shook Judy awake carefully and lifted her off of him, lucky his red fur hid his embarrassment. The rabbit gently woke and stretched her back, letting out a soft feminine whimper.

            She faced his way and plopped her hands in her lap, giving Nick a frantic once over look, and then back to the chief, who now loomed over them. His face was exhausted.

            Nick shivered. “Figure out what it was?”

            The Buffalo flared his nostrils and turned away to the front of lobby. “No. Unknown substance, so we didn’t touch it. Liz is looking over it in the lab. Said it’s probably some new hot underground hallucinogen.”

            The rabbit stretched her arms and stared back up to the chief, where her brows crossed with curiosity. “Are there no traces of any common narcotics?” The buffalo shook his head, looking back down the hallway with tired eyes.

            “No, no there aren’t. Completely unique, from what Liz observed at first.”

            Judy huffed, and leaped tiredly off the chair to turn to the glass doors, shielding the inside from the heavy rain. “Is there anything we can do?”

            Nick groaned, waving his paws messily in the air. “Give it a rest Judes, we caught the guy for the day. Can’t we just grab lunch and do paperwork?” The rabbit snapped around and whipped her finger to his nose declaratively.

            “You may be a lazy fuck or not care sometimes,” She growled through a nasty snarl, “But if something serious is going on, you’re just showing you don’t care about anything, huh?”

            Nick knit his brows and looked cautiously over to the chief, whose face remained stone and uncaring. The fox returned the same offended, careful glance back to the rabbit. “I don’t know where you got all that from, or who has your panties in a wad, but you really need to take a chill pill.”

            The rabbit raised her paws up and curled them with frustration, her tone dry and hot. “Do you not know the crazy, evil shit that goes on out there, with the most normal looking people? Something as suspicious as this should be treated with **urgency,** and you’re treating it like it’s just any other random criminal!”

            Nick pointed his arms out wildly to the hallway, laughing sadly at her conspiring attitude. “Because it is some random criminal Judy! I don’t know why you’re so worked up about it!”

            Before Judy could chip in her sense, the chief stepped between the two briskly and looked to Judy, pointing towards the breakroom. “You, R&R, _now,_ ” He spun back around to Nick, who raised his paws in surrender. “And you, my office.”

            Judy grumbled and cursed under her breath, kicking an imaginary rock across the marble floor as Nick looked back behind the following Chief, brows crossed with concern at her sudden attitude spike.

 

XXX

 

            Nick rubbed his temples with the tips of his fingers, chuckling distastefully. “So hold on, you’re meaning to tell me the most upbeat ball of fluff in the world is having trust, _anxiety, **and depression issues?** ”_

            The Buffalo put his mug of cold coffee (in which he had no idea why he was still drinking) down on the desk, holding his chin on his thumbs. “I’ve seen it before. Plenty of my officers. It isn’t _job breaking,_ it’s just something that shouldn’t go unattended to. Delgato, Fangmeyer, Francine, they’ve all been affected by some of the stuff that goes on in the real world. The real, _dirty,_ world. You’ve lived in it your whole life, as you’ve said. Some of the violent cases you two have dealt with is putting a strain on her with what to trust, who’s a bad person and her outlook on mammals.”

            Nick breathed heavily, and slumped into his chair. “Lamb of God, okay. So, what do you suggest I do? Stop teasing her, treat her more—“

            The chief held his hood up, shaking his scruffy head. “None of that is necessary. Don’t lead on like she has a problem, mammals like Hopps don’t like to be pitied.”

            Nick crossed his arms objectively, giving him a distrusting frown. “Since when have you been a mammal person?”

            The chief let loose a faint, prideful smirk and pointed to his badge, tapping it lightly twice. “I’m the Chief of Police. Been Chief for thirteen years, combined with my time on the force, that’s twenty-one. I’ve seen it all and dealt with it all. I have to know mammals.”

            The fox took a moment to think, and exhaled angrily. “So what do I do then?”

            “Whenever she starts talking a little strangely from how she usually does, or acts jumpy and nervous, just, be as assuring and soothing as you can be. Lie a little sometimes, just to calm her down if you ever need to.” He explained, arms folded across the desk.

            Nick strummed his paw pads across the arm of the chair, looking around the room aimlessly. “Alright. And I’ll try convincing her to go to a psychiatric session sometime, _maybe_. Is that cool?”

            The chief nodded and heaved discontently from his broad chest. “Go. You two have the rest of the day off, so you can cheer her up. The other half of the shift you would have gone and rutted in the supply closet or cruiser anyway.”

            That’s where Nick’s insides wrenched, and he was lucky his fur was reddish enough already. “W-we aren’t dating and I-I haven’t even – we haven’t even messed around with each other! Why would you s-say that, that’s unprofessional!”

            The aging buffalo let out one of his ultra-rare grins, and looked the fox straight in the eye. “It’s easy to see how you act around her, and how she acts around you,” An even rarer chuckle escaped Bogo’s muzzle when Nick trembled and gulped, “It better not end up with the rutting during workhours, though. I’ll put you two on suspension in a heartbeat.”

            Nick shook his hands frantically and his muzzle spat words in an attempt to finish and leave with what little pride he had in himself around that Buffalo. “I-It won’t, it isn’t going to! I don’t even--, well, I-I,” He sweated, shivered, gulped, and waved bye fanatically before rushing out the door of the Buffalo’s office.

            Bogo chuckled, and looked to the side of his heavy oak desk, where a picture of him and his ex-wife stood; once happily together at an altar.

            “Dumb love.”

 

XXX

 

            The fox and bunny ended up walking down to a local heavy-food café, where a huge cobblestone fireplace was the center place of the lounge-esque dining room. They sat mostly in silence, over the clinking of other mammals’ plates and their quiet talk about taxes or how cold the rain was today.

            Eventually, Nick thought back to what Bogo had said, and faked a cough to begin conversation. “Hey, uh, Carrots, look I’m sorry that I was kind of a jerk to you back at the station,” Nick swallowed the rock in his throat, “Is there anything you wanna… talk about?”

            Judy looked up from her huge finished salad plate, and fiddled with her hands in her lap.

She looked away from his eyes, and breathed in through her nose noisily. “No, I was rude, I said some stuff that wasn’t even true. I dunno, I don’t feel good. I haven’t for a while.”

            She watched as his expression faded into an even softer one of compassion that she’d like to imagine he’d do if he were venting her love to him. _Why did that pop up in my head?_ She mentally smacked, and turned her eyes away to the wine glass on the table. The fox gushed, “Hey… is it some of the cases? Do they make you… depressed at all? Upset?”

            She shivered a bit, not only at the cold, or his tone, but more so the fact that he figured it out. Judy knew he was missing one part to the puzzle, but it could wait. “Yes,” She fought back tears, “God yes it does.”

            Nick hated seeing her upset, but he hated it more when she _cried._ His eyes and mouth curved sadly, quickly rushing to her side of the booth, where he fit her snugly on his lap, and the back of her head resting in the crook of his neck. “Hey, hey, shh, I’m right here. Why don’t you tell me about it, hmm? Nick’s right here,” He wiped a tear away from under her eye, and Nick could feel his heart getting pricked with ice picks. “I’m not going anywhere.”

            Judy always felt safe in Nick’s grasp, especially when he’d hold her this tight. He’d use his words just like warm silk and lavender to her ears and her feelings, he would coax her to talk about anything, but the bunny wouldn’t have it any other way. “R-remember the Anderson family case?” She held back more tears, and held one of his paws under her chin securely.

            Oh, Nick remembered it all right. A raccoon, father of three and husband of two, had gone off the deep end somehow, threatening to cut his kids’ throats and the wife had dialed 911. Nick and Judy showed up, and it was her first traumatic case (the fox just hadn’t known it at the time). The family’s bodies were bloodied up and sloppy across the floor, and Nick had heard sobbing coming from the kitchen, right next to them. Judy sprinted in, and was met with the father blowing his head off with a shotgun, and his blood and brains had splattered across her as Nick followed behind to watch the body topple to the floor. It was disgusting, seeing three innocent kids and what remained of a one beautiful raccoon, all shredded up by some husband and father that had lost his mind with no found ulterior motives. The forensic team theorized a brain tumor unrecognized had hid hit something that day maybe, but there was none of the brains left to investigate untouched. Instead, most of them were stained into the bunny’s uniform and fur.

            “Yeah,” He gulped, gently rocking her back and forth in the booth, as she sniffled into his wrists. “Yeah I do.”

            Judy shook her head and curled up in his lap, mortified. “It was so unfair, Nick! I-It d-didn’t make an-any sense, an-and h-he w-was re-really nice and h-ha-happy b-beforehand! The r-reports said h-he had n-no issues, s-so why? What about th-the school? T-the Elementary School?”

            Nick cringed at the thought of that one. An escaped child pedophile had just gotten out of prison, and had gone to shoot the place up. Nick had been the one to take down the maniac in the motion, but Judy saw nearly fifteen _extremely young_ students just mowed down by a sicko with a perverted death fetish (from further investigation from his home, snuff was found everywhere in his PC).

            “T-those w-were li-little kids Nick! T-they w-were s-six and t-ten and they hadn’t e-even s-seen t-the rest o-of their lives! What ab-about their families?” She choked up, and the fox holding her patted her back firmly yet comfortingly. “A-and that f-fuh-fucking _sicko._ I w-wanted to _ki-k-kill him!_ I would’ve t-turned him in-into pulp! Sh-shoot e-every bullet I h-had into him!”

            The fox cooed her soft hushed into her ear, gripping the back of her head firmly in his paw, stopping the rocking motion and pressed her body flat against his torso. “Hey, but we saved a lot of them too, huh?”

            The bunny shook her head, holding back the sobs still trapped in her small body. “I-I hate the m-mammals h-here. Every-everything’s evil in t-this world, a-and w-we can’t d-do anything.” Nick held her back, gripping her shoulders, pressing his forehead against hers.

            “Judy, there are good mammals in this world. There are some bad ones too, but you can’t focus on them. It’s not healthy for you,” He tried to persuade her, but her eyes grew vulnerable and tears began to drip back down her fur.

            “But it’s reality, you can’t deny that!” Her eyes were reddened, tone sopping and hot with sorrow.

            Nick gestured her eyes to his, and she stared back. Her violet eyes were filled with tears; they were vulnerable and reddened with abandon. “So maybe I can’t,” He swallowed, “I know there’s bad in this world, I grew up with it.” His breath grew shaky and unsettled. “But you can’t focus on that. It’s going to hurt you. You’ll get hung up on it and it changes you.”

            The rabbit swallowed thickly, and the tears began to recede. “Besides,” Nick smiled tenderly, and shook her shoulder gently. “You came into my life, and changed it. You were the good for me, and you know what? Real good changes you too, for the better.”

            Judy felt captivated under the weight of his gaze, and the heat rushed up to her cheeks when it came to mind that they were so close. Something in her head told her to turn away, that she was embarrassing herself in front of him.

            There was a momentary silence, and it was only till then the bunny noticed the few occupants of the dim restaurant were giving odd glances, concerned mostly, but the fox directly in front of her with his fur shining a russet, burnt orange from the light from the burning fireplace, was there to guide her head back up towards his.

            Nick stared into her eyes and saw her captivation, internally admiring the pretty face of his partner, and how the fireplace in the corner illuminated her face in just the right way. A calming, genuine grin came to his face, fangs poking out from under his lips. He thought for a moment, taking the time to not make anything awkward from that moment. It ended up with heat rushing to his cheeks, and a nervous drawl spilling from his muzzle. “Hey, why don’t we go back down to your apartment, hmm? I’ll rent a movie, we can relax, play a board game and drink a coffee or something.”

            The rabbit turned her head to the long wall of picturesque windows, where the rain continued to batter the dim metropolis below. She turned back and hugged him tightly. “Yes please.”

            Nick paid for the meal, and led the rabbit out the door, where they walked in the cloudy, rainy, sad weather; together.


	3. Dirt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Far away, in the shitty town of Dirt...

Jackson Savage yawned with exhaustion inside the dim van, suitcase between his legs and partner in the seat beside him. She was around five years older than him, a vixen, at that with snow white fur and icy blue eyes. She had been his superior for his introduction to the force, and Jack; a twenty-two-year-old jack-rabbit (non-coincidently was his first name to his species) with big dreams and a lot of luck. If being the FBI’s youngest entry rank investigation officer took luck as an answer, well than, Jack was the luckiest mammal in the world.

            “Look alive rookie,” the vixen pointed out the tinted window to the mint green sign that lined the hallway. “We’re here.” Jackson looked out into the window and into the night, where the flat, darkened desert town with the sign indicating its forgettable name; _Dirt._

            “Skylar,” He drew a shaky breath, as the government van approached close enough to the point that the police lights inside the town were illuminating the inside of the vehicle. “I’m nervous. This is my first investigation.”

            The vixen turned her head down to the younger rabbit, where she eyed him picking the leather suitcase up from the ground, clutching it tightly in his paws. “Jackson, what have I told you, hm? Nervousness and anxiety are signs of absolute weakness. Weakness gets you killed. Skinned, hell, eaten by cannibals in some remote town. Stick your head up and tighten your belt.”

            Jack whined, “But what if nobody takes me seriously? Aren’t you well acquaintanced with the officers here? Won’t they just try to ignore me?”

            Skye shook her head with disinterest. “Jackson, you’ve got that peppy accent of yours, idiots and rednecks down here think anyone with some remote accent are smart or higher in the social ladder. It’s rather stupid, actually,” She chuckled at the thoughts of meeting the perverted and piggish officers of Dirt’s force again, “I came here once for a simple catnip bust with some Irish coyote. They praised him like some sort of God with that stupid accent.”

            Jack chuckled, his throat riddled with anxiety, and strummed his fingers across the suitcase. “My accent isn’t, stupid, is it?”

            The fox gave a toothy grin as the van stopped, and she popped the door ajar for herself. “I wouldn’t say so myself. It’s rather adorable from my point of view.” Jack’s cheeks turned a flustered red at her words, wiping his paw around his mouth.

            “T-thanks.”

           

The outside, contrary to the dark desert setting, was freezing cold, and Jack was immediately thankful Skye forced him to wear the heavy C.P.O. coat instead of his “cool” leather jacket. He ran around the car, clutching the suitcase in his paws and readjusting his glasses over the bridge of his nose, wiggling his whiskers.

The two left the drivers in the van, walking down the main-street of the old western-esque town and Skye pulled her scarf further up her neck, blocking out the intense, dust riddled wind. “Is it usually this windy?” Jack yelled through the noise.

            Skye looked down and nodded, “The town is almost completely flat, so the wind beats this place up to hell.”

            Jack shivered uncomfortably, and eyed the turn of the street, observing the deep orange street lights above. Everything seemed empty. “There’s nobody around, it’s so lonely.” The fox nodded, and pointed ahead.

            “Yeah, it always is. It seems the action is up ahead though,” She gestured as they rounded a building, and a mess of sirens and scrambling officers worked in and out of a knick-knack shop. The front glass pane was shattered, and as the two approached closer, blood was splattered in the cashier corner.

            Jack clenched the handle of the case and breathed heavily, stepping towards the officers readying his badge. The police force of Dirt whipped around to see the two, defending the entrance to the crime scene. “This here area is off limits hun,” The sheriff, a tall tan coyote spat to the floor, ignoring Jack. The rabbit huffed angrily.

            Skye smacked Jack on his shoulder, and gestured towards the officer. The rabbit coughed in realization, and waved his badge to the officer. “We’re from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and we have authorization to take a look at the scene. Judging from the reports you sent in to your office, they raised some red flags in our system and they sent us out.”

            The officer ignored him, and instead stared Skye in the eye. Jack grunted. “How in the hell did you see a report we sent in to our own office an our ago?”

            The bunny raised his finger angrily to chime in, but the fox placed a finger to his mouth and stepped closer to the sheriff with authority. “Sheriff Trent, the police forces and all Government branches are monitored closely by our systems for any red flags that you Bozos may have missed, or may be classified.”

            The coyote cackled, and jutted his thumb back to the building. “Then what the hell is all this then?”

            Jack coughed for permission to speak, but Skye again put her finger to his face. “Congratulations men,” She laughed darkly, with a light touch of humor, “You are now in the Government’s trust of newly classified information. Any of this information gets leaked, and you will face severe penalties.”

            The Sheriff’s haughty grin fell when he saw the serious the fox was glaring. “You’re fuckin’ serious?” Jack stuck his finger in the air and spoke before Skye could.

            “Dead serious,” The rabbit gritted, stepping before the tall, dirt hardened canine.

            “Uh yuh,” He finally acknowledged the rabbit, flicking Jack’s ear teasingly. “You’re awfully skinny to be an agent, kinda funny lookin with that tiny briefcase.”

            The rabbit’s ears turned red, and a scowl teared from his reddening face while the officers in the back snickered at the remark. He clutched the little leather briefcase to his chest defensively, but Skye instead jutted her finger into the dopey coyote’s chest.

            “You seem to have no problem asking for a bullet in your skull, you stupid red-necked piece of shit. If you even _think_ of attempting to harass an FBI investigative officer,” She ripped the pistol off the Velcro-holder strapped to her belt, and pressed the muzzle fiercely between his eyes. “We have the right to lash out with whatever means deemed necessary..”

            With a peppy cough, she patted Jack on the shoulder again, this time giving him a gentle grin with her eyes staring into his reassuringly. “Now I’d appreciate it if you were to let my officer in for forensic investigation. I’d suggest you let him _now._ ”

            Jack grinned, and held the leather suitcase stupidly between his paws; like a kit who was waiting for the ice cream to be served to him out of the viewing window. The coyote stepped away from the pistol, and moved out of the frame of the door, and Jack zipped in with excitement.

            The fox rolled her eyes at his childish attitude, and followed him inside. “Guard the area and let nobody around ‘till we’re done.” She ordered the officers, and they nodded with compliance. She gave a mundane grin, and stepped through the shattered glass door, where she was greeted with the cashier corner of the room splattered in sticky hot blood and sloppy, wet, chunky gore.

            “Lovely,” The fox grimaced, pulling latex gloves out of her pocket and snapped them on to join Jack, who was behind the cashier counter. She knelt down beside him, where he was quick at work collecting samples of the fleshy slop.

            His suitcase was opened up to reveal a mini laboratory setting, where flasks filled with chemicals and a collapsible microscope was opened up. “I dunno how you can touch this and not throw up, rookie.” She muttered, trying to peel her eyes away from the cotton swab he dipped in a noticeable rip inside a fleshy piece of what she assumed was the torso. He pulled the swab away and popped the cork off of a flask with a cool blue liquid inside, dropping the whole swab inside and sealing it back off with the top.

            “What’s that supposed to do?” She crossed her brow, watching as the blue color slowly began to dilute into a dirty orange color.

            The jack-rabbit whipped around to her with excitement in his eyes, “It’s supposed to bring out the attacker’s DNA. I know all of this wasn’t done with a weapon, it’s obvious.” He pointed to the gash he recently swabbed, “This is a bite, and so bites come from the mouth. What comes from the mouth that can be studied?”

            She shrugged her elbows, and Jack answered for her anyways. “Saliva! This chemical here separates the victim’s blood, any other fluids, and the attacker’s saliva.” He shook the flask a few times, and set it inside a holder that popped out of the suitcase. A thick silvery liquid rose to the top of the flask, and his paws snatched the micro-camera velcro’d to the lid of the case, and snapped pictures of the body, the blood, and paw prints from the attacker.

            “Strange,” He bent down to the tile floor, where the paw prints were arranged in a quad fashion. “They were running the whole time on all fours. Even at the attack scene.”

            She looked at the prints, which ran out the door in a frantic manner. “They look disoriented the whole way. No pattern.” Skye observed, struggling to wrap her mind around the state of the attacker.

            The bunny nodded, and skidded back to the suitcase, where he took out the flask and poured a drop of the silvery film onto the slide of the microscope, and put it under for observation. Skye knelt beneath him and noticed a frustrated growl escape his lips.

            “I have never, ever seen anything like this. I don’t know what it is,” He took away his eyes, rubbed them, and looked back to the lens.

            She crossed her brow and loomed over to see the thick, silvery drop on the slide. “I thought you were just looking at DNA or something? What do you mean you don’t know?”

            He sat back on his haunches and held his paw over the bridge of his nose, deep in thought. “This is a state-of-the-art, hell, a small, compact microscope ahead of its time, and can see to molecular levels. What I’m looking at, I think is chromosomes, but they’re broken. Degradated. And I think the culprit are these weird foamy molecules. Take a look.”

            Skye leaned into the scope, and saw what he was talking about, milky white, red stained particles eating away at a chromosome. “It’s eating away at it,” She observed, and stepped away. “Do you think it’s Nighthowlers?”

            He shook his head immediately, falling down to sit on the tile. “No. Nighthowlers targeted the brain’s hormone regulation and messed with comprehension skills through neuro-thought processes. This is destroying the body’s information and if my theory is correct, and we find the mammal that did this, it’s destroying the brain too. Not just messing with it, _killing it._ This could be a disease, a bioweapon, whatever it is, I don’t know. But it’s dangerous.”

            The fox picked herself up off of her knee, and brushed her trench-coat down. “It seems so. Could it spread?”

            He took another look at the microscope, and pondered for a few seconds. “If I’m gonna make a quick guess, I’d say only through living nuclei passing inside of the bloodstream, with the diseased chromosomes, or just disease itself. In plain old English, just bite wounds.”

            The vixen nodded, and looked through the windows, where the sun was slowly rising over the horizon. She shuddered. “Then we better find whatever mammal’s doing this before it spreads. We don’t want this getting anywhere near a big city.” She thought for a moment. “Say, what is the closest to here?”

            Jack finished packing up his case and yawned with exhaustion. “I’d say Zootopia. Only 120 miles away,” As the two walked out the door, they came across the officers, but all five of them were strung across the dirt road, with their entrails splattered across the road. The rabbit shuddered with disgust. “I suggest you tell whatever CDC they have over there to watch this stuff closely. Classified; this might cause a panic.”

            The vixen nodded, and she pulled out her phone to call for the van, and a cleanup team to the area. “On it,” As she waited for the phone to dial, she gently bumped him with her hip playfully. “Not bad for your first time, cutie.”

            The rabbit’s cheeks turned red, and he laughed nervously. “Thanks.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heya, I hope you enjoyed the new chapter. Comment your thoughts and any story suggestions, I'm always open UwU.  
> Leave a Kudos and share, thanks for reading AAAAAA this one actually got done pretty quick, I did it during some free time in my classes.


	4. Comfortable Liar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nick and Judy visit the 'rents. Bogo receives an unexpected call. Tension mounts.

**_Comfortable Liar_ **

 

_**Two Months Later** _

 

"Carrots~" A sing-song voice woke the sleeping and frankly exhausted rabbit from the grasp of sleep, and a tired confusion swept over her morning face.

Nick was dressed in simple, cozy clothing and flip-flops; tapping his watch strapped to his wrist. He smiled coyly, and bent down to pick up two heavily stuffed duffle bags with relative ease. Judy shook the morning cobwebs out of her head.

"What?" She rubbed her eyes and smacked her lips. Her senses felt clogged with nothing but his scent. Probably from hugging his tail every time they shared her bed.

"Have you forgotten?" He put on a big show and gasped like Clawhauser would have. "We're going 'where the wild things are', like you said!"

Judy wasn't amused by his riddles, ever. Only this one made sense after the fuzzy haze in her head was replaced with panic. "Oh Serendipity, the train! I'm going to make us late!"

Nick was amused but showed a little compassion through his chuckle, planting his paws on her shoulders. She took a deep breath then and was forced to calm down. His touch always did that.

Nick hooked her chin so she could look up at him, and he spoke snarkily. "First of all, it's six in the morning. Train leaves at eight, I got up early, Carrots. Second of all, stop panicking. Like, _all_ of today. No panicking. I know how much this means to you, this whole family reunion business thing. Personally I never had that but I know what it means and blah, blah. So because of your invitation, and sheer jealousy of other bunnies possibly trying to hop on you, pun fully intended," She giggled and his grin grew bigger.

"It is my responsibility to see you happy and worry free." He finished his monologue and planted a quick peck on her lips.

The rabbit giggled in a completely infatuated stare into Nick's eyes. "Thank you, my big, musky, husky foxy."

The fox stepped away from the bed and picked the bags up again. "Just a tad bit possessive there Judes?"

His humor willed and hit the target nail when he heard her "harrumph," and then he tossed her a pair of leggings strewn about the floor. "Dress comfily, it's a six hour ride to Bunnyburrow you said."

"Seven." She corrected and sighed, to her own displeasure.

It took Judy less than thirty minutes to get ready, even with Nick's constant flirting and teasing before they took off. Judy's defenses at his usual behavior were well constructed, but his attraction, musk, and unstoppable husk distracted her with a sloppy, passionate makeout session.

Their trip to the train station was mostly a quiet one, and the silence wasn't awkward to Judy, nor peaceful. It was just there, and she had time alone to tend to her thoughts even as they waited at the train station.

It was usually the same reoccurring thought, one that she felt guilty of, especially now here with Nick. The thought was that she was _using_ him.

Their chemistry as partners had never been denied, and neither had their possible roles in a relationship. However, as the train pulled into the station and blew steam wildly about, with Nick's paw wrapped tenderly and lovingly around her waist, the same thoughts ran through her head. As loving as his touch was when she thought like this, the exact same touch felt icy cold.

Only two months ago, when they went back to his apartment on that rainy day, she ended up jumbling her personal emotions for him, and she confessed her feelings for him. She felt like ice had been poured all over her body when she realized what had happened, and that had been when she woke up in Nick's arms after sobbing in them till she slept. He hadn't even shared his feelings for her back. It was later, when they went out for breakfast, he sloppily and nervously confessed his too. If he hadn't felt the same for her in the premeditated way he had, she would have done something irrational, or even _harmful_ to herself. She was already was on the brink of shattering from the moral weight on her heart and mind from work, but if that had gone sour, she would have been _done._

As Nick lead them to an empty, cushioned bench and proceeded to stick their luggage overhead, her conscious again violated her heart. She _knew_ she had ended up rushing this because of the anti-climactic profession of love. Some nights, she'd lay awake sleepless thinking she'd screw up and Nick would go away forever, then she'd be totally isolated and alone.

Her job _hurt_ to do alone anymore.

Living as a cop hurt to do alone with the circumstances and atrocities they were forced to see, but Judy hadn't taken _that_ into account in her childhood dreams.

So she sat in the bench very still, almost unable to hear anything. Her thoughts always winded down this darkened path now, and it was always amplified when she'd think like this around him. Her vision was almost tunneled and it just _hurt to_ ** _breathe._**

Maybe she was like that for ten seconds before the clicking of Nick's fingers in front of her eyes, and a look of serious (but not fearful) worry in his face.

"....hey, Carrots, seriously, look at me."

The bunny's patch of disconnect suddenly passed, and the hum of the train speeding through the woods filled her ears. She looked about and saw it filled with families, and they were all making happy, casual chit chat.

And here she was, letting her head completely be run over by herself.

"I'm sorry," She reached out and clung to him, holding her head in his shoulder. "I was thinking and getting caught up with myself."

Nick didn't make a snappy remark to make her feel better, or a little spiel about other mammals being bad to build her up. Instead, it was replaced with a nauseous, impending doom. He could read her smells and emotions like a cheap surprise.

"You know you can talk to me, right?

You know you can... _trust me..._ **_right?_** " His mouth felt dry when she'd get like this. "You... you mean a lot to me Judy. More than I can say."

She nodded passively, and sunk into the bench, staring out the window, watching the land beneath her feet speed by.

For a moment, she closed her eyes and slept.

 

 

Nick woke Judy around nine 'o clock at night, the train had rested its iron lungs to unload the passengers it carried.

They shared a comfortable, calm silence, until thunder clouds cracked lighting overhead, and rain poured down in an almost comedically fast fashion.

Nick took it as a chance to brighten the mood. "Hey, it couldn't get any worse now, huh?" He mentally crossed his fingers, and a bright smile crossed his muzzle when Judy's face lit up in a tired, but dimly amused fashion.

Even with her fur soaking wet, he'd never seen her so pretty before.

A cab was called, and an Onyx drove the two down about twenty miles from the train station, rambling about the latest baseball game. Nick held Judy's paw and rubbed his larger thumb over her much smaller knuckles. They listened rather to the rain.

The cab fee was paid (a whopping eighteen dollars) by Nick, and he was there with Judy to behold the Hopps household for his first time. Their bags were sopping wet beside them (from the station), but Nick was glad the rain let up, and a night time overcast could not keep out the vibrant moonlight from making the damp countryside glow.

When he looked below and beside him, his own heart glowed, a smile crossed his face with undeniable radiance. The same radiance was found on Judy's face, as she looked at her childhood home's front door. Whether the wetness running from her eyes was water or tears, the fox reached down and clutched her paw, in which she tightly squeezed his back. He could practically _feel_ her joy. He didn't need to smell or observe it.

He loved that about her.

"C'mon," She sniffled happily, and wiped her nose. "Everyone's probably by the fire. I..."

She looked to Nick, who was listening to every word of hers so carefully... and his expression was so tender... yet so undeniably and sarcastically **_Nick_**. She couldn't comprehend how much she...

She seized him by his neck scruff suddenly, the fox froze with shock, but melted under the kiss Judy pulled him down into. He could feel her lips curled in a huge smile, and he couldn't help but smile back with delight.

He held her smaller head delicately with his large paw, and kissed her for just a little longer, her paws not leaving his neck fur.

No soaked fur and clothes, no amount of pressure from their work and responsibility back in Zootopia, could keep Nick from enjoying this. Enjoying their mutual feelings of... affection? No, No that's not a suitable word. The suitable word was...

"Judy? Do you... need some time, **_darling?_** **"**

Nick froze, but not out of an affectionate shock. They simultaneously turned their heads (which were still oh so obviously close), and Judy gulped with fright to see a rabbit of a tall, slim build. She held a box of cigarettes in her paws, and was the only one outside. Judy knew the rabbit by her last name.

"Aunt Eeyore!" She shoved Nick away, wiped her lips, gulped and spoke with an uncharacteristic pip in her voice. "N-night time smoke?"

The aunt wasn't fooled, but she was humored. An all too knowing smile peeled across her muzzle. "Yes, you know I always come out for one." She lit a cigarette and placed it between her lips. She breathed a puff of smoke and gestured to the two with it. "Were you planning on a night time rut?"

_"Oh jeez,"_ Nick whispered out loud and turned around, walking away a distance to scratch the back of his head in embarrassment and awkwardness.

Judy gurgled and sputtered around for any relevant thing to say to break her out of it, but the older bunny in the doorway waved her paw away with a flat expression, but she sounded humored. "I don't care Judy. You've always been weird. And besides, he looks like a stud, now doesn't he?"

Judy nodded absurdly fast and passively, just waiting for her to go back inside. "Yep yep yep, he's great. Can you not, uhm, tell anyone? Like, at all? This is all, fairly... well _new._ Do you-- understand?"

Her late aunt shrugged with little care. "Yeah, yeah, you want me to leave and close the door too?"

Judy nodded with real enthusiasm this time.

Her Aunt Eeyore frowned. "I was joking, but, I guess. You owe me Judy."

She flicked the cigarette to the floor, and stepped inside the house, slamming it. If door slams could laugh, it laughed _loud_ at Judy.

Judy huffed with relief and turned to find Nick, with his paws on his hips and exhaling loudly.

He huffed and took a deep breath. "Do you think your family is going to, you know," He indicated to the two of them. "...Care?"

Judy bit her cheek and chewed it thoughtfully. "I... I don't know. If anything, we should keep this... on the down low. Please, Nick. I want this between us and I really don't want to risk it this fast with my family. There will be a time where we can come back to do the whole meet-my-parents spiel."

Nick nodded, and a sort of saddened silence fell between them. A light drizzle started to fall again. Judy took in a deep breath and hauled her bag up to her shoulder.

"Let's get inside."

"Yeah, this rain will kill me faster than your family will."

_"Nick."_

"Sorry, sorry."

  
  


XXX

 

Chief Bogo sat down with his sixth mug of coffee for the day, and a pounding headache rippled through his brain. It was two o' clock in the morning, and the overcast in Zootopia put a damper on the entire town's mood.

Just another _beautiful_ day at Precinct One in the absolute _**darling**_ city of Zootopia.

The buffalo took a sip of the disgustingly bitter hot drink and went back to signing off more case files after rigorously checking through them. 

_I need a day off soon,_ he'd think. He needed to relax for at least a single day, have a beer and sleep with the TV on.

He actually enjoyed the thought of being lazy for a day. Just; to himself for an entire day. No _Nick Wildes_ to make a smarmy joke or a Judy Hopps to prove him wrong about anything and everything.

The thoughts entertained him enough to put down the case file and look to his desk calendar, looking for a possible date to take off.

He was interrupted by a ringing phone alongside his desk, and with it was the state department's contact. At the exact same time, a separate call came alongside it from the CDC.

Both were in red, and were marked _urgent_ in bright, red, illuminated letters.

The buffalo sighed and looked away from the calendar, stumbling tiredly with the phone. He finally managed to grasp it firmly and answered it with haste.

"Hello?" He grunted, rubbing his forehead with exhaustion.

From the other line, a sterile, professional, accented feminine voice pepped up over the line. It was cold with how it delivered its words. "Chief Bogo, I am Skye Winters of the Fderal Bureau of Investigation. We have been investigating a health crisis that may be already in your city..."

 

  ** _XXX_**

 

Nick wasn't 100% surprised that the Hopps burrow was as big as it was, but he was _definitely_ surprised at the ingenuity of the place. The inside was a massive arts-and-craft era designed structure, with cobblestone lining the walls, and heavy, pretty beams of darkened wood ran across the descending structure. Soft oil lamps made the place glow with a cozy warmth, and the floors were lined by fluffy, cream-plush-carpet.

Nick was also surprised with how early the Hopps Household went to sleep, as the only sound he could hear was the flicks of flames in the lamps, and the ticking of clocks that spiraled up in a soft echo from the huge descending cavern of rooms and halls.

"It's pretty." Nick commented.

Judy let her bag down, and shook her shoulder of the weight. "It's home."

Nick grew accustomed the scent of cool earth as he watched Judy pace around the almost lobby like entrance through the doorway. She was preoccupied with texting her parents of their arrival on her phone, and Nick walked past her slightly, to lean on the guardrail that looked down into the massive descending hole that housed different levels around it. There had to be at least fourteen floors.

 _"Now that's a lot of multiplying,"_ He whispered more to himself, but Judy caught sound of it, and she snorted without distracting herself from the phone.

He smiled tiredly, and turned to where the first rooms on their level started. A single child stood in the doorway, elephant plushie in her paw, ears standing curiously tall, and dressed in banana printed pajamas. She stared up at him with a somewhat curious, yet cautious look.

"You're a fox," She stated matter of factly.

Nick's ears pulled against his head, and prepared instantly for the worst he could. "Yes. I'm with Judy.

The bunny looked around to see Judy on a call now, talking to her parents to come to the ground level.

"Judy's my Aunt," She spoke softly, and tilted her head to observe every aspect of Nick. "My name's Penny. I'm s'pposed to be asleep, but I don't like sleep. It's scary."

Nick nodded and sighed with mild relief. "Is that so, squirt?"

Penny nodded.

Nick held his paw out. "I'm Nick. I work with your Auntie on the police force all the way in Zootopia. She's quite the hassle, let me tell you."

Judy appeared to have finished the call now, as she popped up beside Nick and hit him roughly on the arm. Penny giggled.

"Hiya Penny. You've met my pain in the butt partner Nick?" She sneered at the fox, who hip checked her in return.

Penny giggled at their mischief and bickering. "Your boyfriend is pretty, Judy."

Judy choked and Nick cackled at how fast that shut her up in any case. "Sorry sport, we're just friends and we like it that way," He lied expertly, elbowing Judy's side as a cue. All she could do was attempt to recover and nod scantily.

Penny, somehow, could bore right through his lie with an innocent look. "S'okay. Your secret's safe with me. My mom always says Aunt Judy needs a boyfriend."

Judy turned beet red and clenched the bridge of her nose, mumbling a curse under her breath. "Does she now..."

Nick sniggered.

"You're so tall," She added, staring up at his height, "You could count for two boyfriends. Maybe even three."

Nick straightened his soggy tie with a pep in his expression. Judy elbowed him with little effect in his ribs. "Penny, feeding his ego only makes him worse."

Nick shurgged, smirking toothily down at the younger bunny. "I dunno carrots, I'm kinda liking your niece here. She treats me better than you do."

"Oh please Nick."

"Hey hey, the ego is a good defense for the heart Carrots. Especially when you seem so dead set on hurting _mine_."

"You big, dumb oaf."

"Now Judy, that is _no way_ to treat our guest." A scolding voice came behind the trio, and Judy winced.

"Bonnie, I think _they were joking."_

Nick turned rather slowly, and finally got his first good look of Judy's parents in the flesh. Judy looked like a wounded child when she turned to meet them, and elbowed Nick to wave as the silence began to linger for too long. Bonnie and Stu waved back.

Penny let out a gasp and ran into the room, frightened her grandparents would tell her mom she was up.

The fox forced a cough. "It's ah--, good to meet you two finally."

"It's very nice to meet you as well," Bonnie said rather quickly, and though her sleepy face, she trembled with some primal anxiety. Nick felt ice cold for a moment.

Stu coughed and clapped his paws together to lighten the mood. "You all must be starving. We have some leftovers in the fourth level kitchen, and I was planning on coming down here ."

Nick took note of the dark rings around their eyes. The callus on Stu's paws. The smell of dish suds radiating off of Bonnie. They looked worked to the bone.

The fox turned for Judy's opinion, but she just looked rather disappointed. He supposed he best say something before she did. "Thank you, that sounds really good actually. Come to think of it," He patted his stomach, "We haven't eaten anything since breakfast. You hungry, carrots?"

Judy grit her teeth with worry and gave him a look, and she mouthed something along the lines of _don't say "carrots" around them._ Nick gave her a knowing nod, and Judy returned to the conversation with a tired enthusiasm.

"Thanks dad, that sounds great." She motioned for Nick to follow her, but wished (already) that she could lead him with his paw in hers.

Bonnie and Stu yawned, and went up ahead with Judy, playing typical parent catch up. Nick stood behind a good few feet, and held his hands behind his back politely. _Gotta have the 'rents think good of me,_ he reminded himself. _I haven't even slept with their daughter yet, oh god, the things they'll think of the day we come out about this._

Judy's overbearing father gave her a tight sidehug, nuzzling his cheek against hers. "So, how's the big city treating you after that whole big case?"

"Which one?" Judy sniggered a comment against her workload.

Bonnie gave a worrying _oh dear._ "You get big, freakish cases like that all the time?"

Judy was hung up on the word **freakish.** Her mind was tempted to wander back to the homicide cases that had scarred parts of her mind...

Nick was about to interrupt with a much needed topic change when the rabbit forced a smile that even _he_ was half fooled by.

"Nope, if anything, a big day is catching the guy who happens to steal Nick's coffee when he doesn't notice they've called his order." She flipped around to Nick, inviting him into the conversation. Her parents' heads followed hers to him.

Nick could pick up Judy's scent that reeked of a saddened, anxious, almost frightened, _help me,_ ** _please._**

Nick's acting skills were much more superior; As they padded down a second level of stairs, he shot her a quick understanding look.

"Not cool _Judy._ " He made sure he wasn't going to say carrots again. He didn't want that almost offended look from her parents again. He knew he was to take over the conversation for a while. "Stealing from an officer is a serious offense. I should have arrested him right there." His sarcastically arrogant tone was perfect enough to make Bonnie and Stu chuckle.

Judy shot him a genuine smile, and Nick was relieved to see he was fitting in lime a puzzle piece.

"It didn't help you screamed your head off when he dropped it 'cuz you scared him." She added.

It seemed like talking about their antics instantly made her parents in a good mood, chuckling and giving warm smiles. Nick almost forgot that they had finished walking down the third level of the gigantic spiraled burrow.

"What was I supposed to do, let him get away? Without buying me another coffee?" He egged on.

"Yes." Judy chuckled matter of factly.

"In your dreams." He finished, as they finally made it into the huge auxiliary kitchen. Her parents flicked a switch, and the bright fluorescent lights bloomed alive along the high ceiling.

The place looked like a gigantic cafeteria, meant to house mammals of all shapes and sizes. Nick wasn't so sure this place was just for bunnies, and they said this was _one of the kitchens._

 _They really_ ** _are_** _good at multiplying,_ he gulped.

"We have Carrot Salad in the fridge over there," Bonnie pointed behind a stainless steel industrial-like buffet counter, equipped with heat lamps. "Then for Nick, I had Judy's sister Yvette cook you a salmon salad. I'm not very, accustomed to cooking for predators. But she is, working at a multi-species restaurant and all." She admitted, letting Stu walk himself over the breadbox to make himself a sandwich.

"Thank you very much," He licked his chops, and wondered how good a bunny could cook up some meat. "And no worries Bon. I understand. Can I call you Bon?"

"Sure thing," She smiled. "As long as I get to call you Nickel."

 _Nickname already? Shoot, I bet they like me more than Judy already,_ He joked to himself, sneering at Judy. She stuck her tongue out at him, and Bonnie smacked her hand, giving her a lecture on manners.

As Nick suddenly grew self conscious of his claws clicking and clacking against the linoleum tiles, Stu called out from behind the counter (already a good distance away from them).

"Speaking of Yvette, isn't she dating a coyote, Bon?" Stu added rather monotonously, and Nick immediately registered this part of the conversation _important._

Nick saw Judy's ears poke up and swore he could _see_ her blood turn cold. Nick motioned to her with his eyes wildly to look at her mother, not him. It took a while to register for her, but she took it finally.

Bonnie sighed, holding her forehead. "Yes, she is. I swear, I can never understand my own daughters. Could you get me a glass of water, dear?"

Stu nodded.

Bonnie turned back to Judy and prepared herself for a rant over this. Judy knew how her mother got

"This is Yvette's first boyfriend in years, Judy, and oh! It had to be a predator, albeit one _four years younger than her._ And she's thirty-three!"

Nick nodded with what she said as if agreeing, but he could feel his guts wrenching. He looked at Judy and could tell she felt the same.

Stu was padding over from the now faraway counter with a carrot-avacodo sandwich and a glass of water. Nick excused himself to trek over the refrigerator Bonnie pointed out.

His ears however, stayed tuned to the table.

"I don't see a problem with it," Stu voiced in, with a hearty little laugh. "I per say, wouldn't do it, but I do know love does some weird things. She's told me that coyote's awfully nice."

Judy was left helpless and alone while she was caught in the middle of her parent's indirect argument. "She's pretty enough, she couldn't go looking out for a nice buck or something."

Stu shrugged and bit a hunk out of the sandwich. "I don't for one understand, but you know, what can you do?"

Nick sighed with relief that her dad was on board when they'd come out. His paws finally reached the steel door of one of the many refrigerators. The rush he got from the thing was freezing, and he shivered through his thin summer fur.

Judy gave out a little cough. "I really don't see a problem with it either mom."

Bonnie took her comment as if she didn't mean it. "Well of course you don't Judy, you're open to anything."

"And we love that about you!" Stu added, but in an almost correcting tone. Only Judy picked up on the indirect tension mounting.

From further away, Nick was already rummaging through the fifth refrigerator, when the scent of paprika, onions, lettuce, spinach and cold salmon reached his nose. His mouth watered as he pulled the food out, lifting the clingfilm off of the paper plate.

Nick smacked his thin black lips happily and shut the refrigerator door.

"You're never going to do _that,_ are you Judy?" Bonnie almost demanded.

Nick looked from his distance, and felt his tail droop and ears start to drop.

"But if you would we'd be okay with that!" Stu added rather quickly, giving his wife a concerned, confused look. "Right Bon?"

Bonnie grimaced, and Nick suddenly felt like he was from outer space. His too big, sharp nails clacking against the linoleum floor seemed to remind and mock him.

"I'm not sure I'd approve of that." Judy's mother concluded with the evermost bit of motherly sass, one that solidified any future placement of Nick in Bonnie's heart.

Stu curled his fingers into his paws, and gave Judy a sympathetic look, but kept his mouth quiet.

As Nick returned with his plate, the chit chat boiled down to remedial talk of Judy's brothers and sisters.

Nick kept quiet, and munched on his salad in a comfortably lying silence.

She saw right through it.

 

 

Nick's guest room and Judy's childhood one were right across from each other, something Nick was glad about. The indirect conversation over predators over the table was enough to let him know his welcome was on thin ice.

He begrudgingly threw his bags into the cramped space, complete with a bunny sized bathroom, a box TV (that Stu informed hadn't been working for years) and a bed for the size of a child rabbit.

He loathed going to sleep, but Judy seemed about ready to say goodnight. She leaned against the frame of her door and crossed her arms, staring down his now shirtless body which resided in his doorway. Judy grinned.

"Well, if you have a nightmare, good thing I'm right across the hall. My sisters used to tell me monsters were in the closets; they may still be there." Her body wracked with giggles, her eyes still eyeing his barrel chested torso.

"Hardy har, Carrots." Nick made a lame attempt to cover up his nervousness about her mom's reaction, and the _entire_ _ **family's**_ impending reaction. Lucky for him, he was a good liar. "All I need is for your parents to think I'm sleeping with you in their own home, and find out about us."

She rolled her eyes and looked up to his eyes for a change. Looking into them however, brought out a more genuine emotion in her. "Listen, Nick... about... you know. Doing the deed-- erm, would you..."

Nick's heartbeat thumped. "Yeah...? 

"Well, not would you-- but uhm, do you _think..._ "

"Think what?"

Judy twiddled either her thumbs. "Do you think you'd ever want to... sleep with me in any near future...? And even-- well if so, do you think we'd... be..."

Nick's throat went dry, and he could feel his cheeks burning red with anxiety. "Be what?"

"...Compatible?"

That struck the fox. He had, granted, never slept with a prey animal, much less a rabbit. He'd had his fair pass through the birds and bees with vixens in his youth, but Judy was something more to him. Sex was something he hadn't thought of with her, really. Mostly, because it was scary; he'd never want to hurt her. He was much bigger than her, and _**yes,**_ in every aspect of the description. Secondly, he wanted to cherish this special little bunny. She meant the earth and moon to him. He couldn't _fuck_ that up because he rushed it or knocked her up.

"I... I'm not sure."

"About which part?"

 _God she sounds so_ ** _fragile here,_** he smacked himself into gear to be more careful about how he talked about this.

"About-- the-- uhm, compatibly part..."

There was a pause from her, and Nick gulped.

She pressed her index fingers together like she was struggling to even talk. She bowed her head in shame and looked to the floor.

"Do you not want to sleep with me...?"

Nick's reaction was firm. "No, of course I'd love to Judy. You're beautiful."

She blushed like a schoolgirl.

"Beautiful is too classy, Nick."

He sighed in relief when the mood lifted. "Pretty?"

She smiled softly. "I think that fits better. Thank you, Nick."

"Of course," He rambled, "Now, per say, I wouldn't reccomend we do anything here. Getting caught would put you and I in danger and I want what we have to be strong, so yes, later we can, when it feels right, but not now. Does that make, any sense?"

Judy rolled her eyes to pass her somber tone and sneered. "One way or another, I'm gonna hop on all over you, _you hunk._ "

He fake gagged. "Oh, how dare you."

They met in the middle of the hall for a long goodnight hug, and Nick snuck a quick kiss atop her head. Judy breathed in his musk and sighed against his chest.

"Goodnight Judes."

"'Night Nick."

They parted ways, took one last look from across the hall, and shut their doors.

Judy dreamed of Nick, a picnic, and some sort of peaceful haven where the violently murdered victims from her cases were happy and flying kites.

Nick dreamed of a town of dirt, a savage animal, and having a fever that felt all too real.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for taking so long, i got off my writing gig for a bit and have been working with my band on tons o good tunes. but i am back with a veNGEANCE. HEAR ME GOD, I LOVE WRITING AAAAAAA

**Author's Note:**

> Heyo! It's Zü. I just moved over from wattpad, which has become Zootopia's deadhorse location. Still getting used to this place. Anyways, hope you all enjoy! This has taken a while to draft, but I'm happy with it. Lemme know what you think. HAPPY SPOOKY SEASON.


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